Chapter 14 #3
They glanced at one another briefly before quickly grabbing their phones for the conference call she’d set up.
“I’m sorry; I hope I didn’t wake you,” Angela said.
“No, Shelly and I are up. We’re taking turns trying to get into all these sites we have now. So Zach and Skye are sleeping, and we’re up next,” Grant told her.
“I’m on, too,” Shelly said, yawning.
“Well, everyone can go to sleep,” Angela said, “because we have your next move figured out.”
“Does it have something to do with a forest?” Shelly asked her.
“It does. You’re all going back to the campground where you found George Maynard. We pieced together a plan through Alan’s correspondence with your crazy lady and someone who has the bounciest IP addresses known to man, never signs on from the same place, but—”
“Several are in St. Augustine?” Grant asked.
“You guessed it. Anyway, from what we’ve discovered, there’s going to be an in-person meeting.
And unless my deductive reasoning has gone all to hell,” Angela said, “it’s going to be in the next day or so.
The main players will attend, I believe.
They are looking for ways to find new recruits, perhaps, or … something else.”
“Okay.”
“We discovered that money passed into an account in the Cayman Islands from Italy. Someone over there wanted our moderate politician dead and paid ‘the gods’ for their curse. We have those folks finding out who. And something else. Our elderly widow, Natalie, basically hospitalized because she’s so far gone, still managed some banking. She also sent money to that account.”
“Well, we’re safe from her,” Shelly said. “She thinks we’re Egyptian gods who came to visit her and be with her because she honored them so much. And we owe her a new computer in the morning.”
“We can take care of that. I’m still going through her history with all the information you sent to me.
In the morning, we’ve got cabins set up for you already.
Cameras are in place. And due to the events with Alan Barker, we’ve installed extra manual dead bolts, et cetera.
Though, of course, Alan was able to get information because he could hack into files from his position.
Anyway, somehow you must find who arrives at that meeting,” Angela said.
“And due to the Alan Barker thing, we aren’t involving others, so … ”
“So, we’ll be armed and dangerous on our own,” Grant said quietly.
“Not exactly, we’ll have a few people from here heading down, the McFadden brothers—great agents who have solved many cases and step in for Jackson and me when needed—and a few others. People you know, Grant. But still … you’re talking about the wilderness, so be prepared. And Shelly—”
“I know. The curse tablets were written especially for me,” she said. “I’m flattered, and I’m also determined.”
“I know. I would be, too. Get some sleep! I’ll be in touch in the morning and will stay connected throughout the day and night and the next day and night.”
“Good to know, Angela. Thank you,” Grant told her.
“Get some sleep!” Angela commanded.
They ended the call. Grant looked at Shelly and then realized Zach and Skye were watching them from the end of the hallway.
“Our phones rang, too,” Skye said. “When Angela wants everyone to know something …”
“All involved know it,” Grant finished for her. “We will need to be at our most attentive best. I guess—”
“Nah, we’re going to read for a while. Hasn’t been six hours, but we slept enough so I feel too awake right now to go back to sleep right away,” Zach said. “I’m staying up for a while. I’ll take your chair, Grant.”
“It’s all yours,” Grant said, rising along with Shelly. They all grinned as they exchanged places.
As they walked down the hallway, Shelly followed Grant to his room, apparently not caring if it was noted they were heading into a room together.
“I told you I wasn’t sleeping alone,” she said.
He smiled. “And I wouldn’t want to let you,” he told her.
He closed his door. A soft nightlight glowed from the small bedside dresser, but once they were in the room, Shelly paused.
“Hey, nothing is expected of you from me,” he said quietly.
“And nothing is expected of you,” she murmured. She still looked concerned. So beautiful and so hesitant.
“Not expected—but wanted. Very much wanted,” he said softly.
She smiled at that and headed over to the bedside table, setting her Glock on it. But she didn’t turn toward him.
“It’s been such a long day,” she said, stripping as she headed for the shower.
His gun went down.
He, too, stripped and walked toward the shower.
The water was already on, steaming around her. He joined her, and she turned into his arms to meet his lips for a kiss that escalated as the mist swirled around them. She fumbled for the bar of soap with her lips never leaving his.
And the soap slid over his body. Intimately.
The bar was in his hands then. And as he moved his hands, slick and subtle over her body, he murmured, “It’s so nice to be so very, very clean …”
She laughed as their sense of urgency flared. And realizing that he was far too big to get much more carried away in a tile and glass compartment that was becoming far too slick …
He fumbled the door open and turned the water off. Then to her surprise, he lifted her off her feet, laughing, so that they could get out. Soaking wet, they grabbed for the towels, but they weren’t particularly dry when they hit the bed together.
He smoothed back her wet hair, meeting her eyes. “I want you to know—” he began.
“I realized that I care about you, too. Deeply!” she whispered. “First, I feared we were both … off. Then I admired you. Then … well, you know, your body isn’t too bad.”
“Gee. Thanks,” he teased.
“And what you can do with it is pretty remarkable,” she whispered.
He slipped atop her. “Well, you’re not bad yourself, and your body …”
“What I can do with it?” she teased.
But he was suddenly serious. “Your mind!” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her lightly before speaking again. “Your mind, your manner … there’s something about you that calls out to me, heart and soul.”
“Now that’s really beautiful,” she whispered.
This time his kiss wasn’t light. And a hungry intimacy raged between them. It was good, so good … coming together. He’d never felt so much as if two people could really become as one in his life.
Were they falling in …
Partnership?
Love.
Maybe both. Lying together was even natural then. Curled together. Knowing that they really did need to sleep and knowing that the sleep they had then would be deep and good and all the better.
It was good. He woke with the light. Some things didn’t change.
She moved against him, awake as well. She instantly reached for her phone and then looked his way with a smile.
“Thankfully, we missed nothing. And I’m guessing there was no attempt at a break-in during the night.”
“No. But it is time to rise and—”
“Shine! Beat you to it!”
She practically flew out of bed, heading for the shower. “Do not come in now!” she ordered.
“I’m not that stupid,” he assured her.
When she made her way out, he made his way in.
“I’m going to slip into my room to dress,” she told him.
Ten minutes later, they met Skye and Zach in the main room. The two were still sitting at the table.
“We did some more reading,” Zach told them.
“And we’re convinced Angela is right. Nothing says exactly when and where, but when you put a few messages from a few people together …” Skye said.
“A-camping we will go!” Grant said.
And they would. But he knew, too, he wouldn’t be letting Shelly out of his sight.
The curse tablet gurus were beginning to make mistakes.
But until they made the one mistake that would take them down …
They all remained in danger.
But Shelly, most of all. And he knew …
Right? Not right? He’d die himself before he let anything happen to her.